Canada’s National Sports
Paraphrased from a Hamilton Spectator article by Steve Milton
On a significant day in 1994, Canada’s Parliament indicated that they fit hand in glove, declaring one our national summer sport, the other our national winter one.
Lacrosse, the Creator’s Game, and hockey, the game Canada created.
It would seem natural for young players, of both sexes, to play both national games, but in this era of specialization at an increasingly young age, what’s natural isn’t always what’s happening. More and more hockey players, all of whom think they have a future, are playing hockey all summer too, with early burnout the obvious pitfall.
A few years ago, Gretzky — who loved to put away his skates in the spring and pick up his lacrosse stick — had urged this corner to write that kids should play lacrosse, soccer, baseball, something that doesn’t involve skates, in hockey’s limited off-season.
One of the new movements in Canadian lacrosse is to formally reconnect with young hockey players, reminding them of the benefits of lacrosse on its own, and as they relate to hockey.
“Some of the dads from the hockey teams told me that Joe Nieuwendyk was the best lacrosse player of the era,” said Lemcke, who is well aware of Whitby’s cross-pollination of our national games.
Hockey Hall of Famers Mike Gartner, Doug Gilmour and Paul Kariya are among many other hockey players who’ve used lacrosse in the summer for enjoyment, social contact and complementary-skill development.
“It’s not a hard sport to pick up,” Lemcke says of the Iroquois game. “When you’re younger it’s excellent to develop hand-eye coordination and as you get older, lacrosse is good for conditioning. It’s similar to the needs of hockey.
“It’s athleticism, hand-eye coordination and putting it all together. Lacrosse and hockey players have to think, and play, the game at speed.”
While also keeping your head up. Lacrosse will teach you that in, oh, about 10 seconds.
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